Fabric for making tires.



' LR. GAMMETER. FABRIC FOR MAKING TIRES APPLICATION mm FEB. 1, 1914,

Patented Jan. 4, 1916.

I 2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

J. R. .GAMMETER.

FABRIC FOR MAKING TIIRES. AFPLlCATlON FlLED FEB. 2. 1914 Patented Jan. 4,1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2 FIGS.

Nomus *rlzns lnpumouvmsmnsim. n c.

i {NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ti r. or anon; omo, ASSIGNOR 'ro THE B. r. Goonmclr COMPA Y; or NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION or new YORK.

"f i FABRIC FOR MAKING Trans.

Patented Jan. 4, 19 16.

Original application filed December 2, 1909, Serial No. 531,045. Divided and this application filed February 7,1914. Seria1No.81 7,218.

{Be it known that I, JOHS R. .GARDIRT-ER,

' a" citizen of the United'btates, residing at Akron, county of' Summit, and State of Ohio. have invented certainnew and usefulImprovements in Fabric for Making Tires,,of' which the following is a spccificzv tio'n.

My invention relates to the making of tires composed of fabriciand rubber, and more particularly to the making ofthe I outer casingsoi" shoes of pneumatic ,,tires. V

tire to the rim, and an outer tread surface of soft rubber. This application, which is a division of my application Serial Number 531,045, filed, December 2, 1909, relates broadly to aflexible band for use in formingtires comprising a strip of tire-making ,material and an auxiliarypiece or pieces of fabric attached thereto-at either the leading or the following end or both, forv in- Suring the same degree of stretch in these end portions as in the remainder ofthe strip of tire-making material. This auxiliary piece of fabric 1- term a leader, although it may also serve a useful purpose 351 as a follower, and if used at the. rear end .of the strip of tire-making material and not serving as a connector to a subsequent strip, that would be its only purpose. v My invention further relates-to a construction in which the fabric used for forming the body portion of the tire is supplied in rolls" comprising a series of strips of i j gummed bias fabric each of a length suflicientfto make one tire, the strips being oined by auxiliary pieces of fabric styled 'leadersf In the accompanying drawings, which form apart of this specification, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a tire-making machine and fabric embodying my invention Fig. 2 is a fragmentaryslde elevation showlhg-the ngfabrie feeding rolls and driving mechanism therefor; Fig. 3 is a detail view partly in section showing the construction of a supporting and guiding roll and its associated :parts; ljig. l is an end view of the driving mechanism shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 5, is 'a Referring to the drawings in detail the numeral. 1 designates a bed plate upon which is mounted a pair of uprights 2 carrying the main shaft 3, the forward end of which projects in frontvof die uprights. Upon the overhanging end of this shaft I provide means for supporting the core or ring 4 about which the tire isto be formed. The means employed for this purpose preferably comprises. a chuck having three outwardly projecting arms 6 with 'V-shaped extremities adapted to engage within a V- shaped groove cut in the inner face ofthe inwardly projecting flange 7 ofthe core. The chuck may be of any usual or well known construction and may resemble the chucks commonly used for holding work upon turning lathes, in which, by the, use of a suitable key or wrench engaging a'nut, appropriate mechanism within 1 the chuck may be operated to expand or retract simultaneously all of the arms 6. By this means the proper centering of the coreor ring t is insured.- p 1 For driving the shaft 3 and rotating the chuck and ring carried thereby, any suitable mechanism may be employed.

Fixed upon one end of the bed plate is a base 8 upon which'is mounted an uprigh 9 provided with bearing recesses 10 and 11 The upright is preferably mounted to slide on the base toward or away from the tirecarrying ring at. A screw 12 operated. by hand wheel 13 and working in anut 14 carried by the upright provides means for ad.- justing the position of the latter.

In the bearing 10 is mounted the shaft 15 of a reel 16 carrying a roll 17 oflthc.

fabric from which the brdy of the tire is to be formed, the'gummed tire-forming fabric being: laid upon and rolled up with a strip of ungummed fabric or liner, which provents the layersof gummed fabric from adhering to each other. To preventthe. too ready rotation of this re.el,.the shaft 15 is preferably provided with a" brake disk 18 against which bears a brake. shoe 1 9 mounted at one end of an arm 20 pivoted on I apin 21.: On the other end of the arm 20 slides a weight 2" which may be secured in any desired position by a set screw 23 to produce the proper braking effect. In the upper bearing recess 11, which is preferably of considerable depth, is mounted a reel 21 which is driven through friction from the, roll 17 and upon which is wound the ungummed strip or liner coming-from the roll. As the roll 17 is unwound, the liner being taken up by the reel 21 will increase the diameter of the latter. the deep bearing .reeesses 11 permitting the shaft of the reel and drawn together by clamping bolts 27'.

Rotatablymounted in these arms is a roller 23, and journaled in the sleeves 25' is a shaft 25) to which is fixed a convex or bellied roller 30. On the bosses formed by the outwardly projecting portions of the sleeves is pivoted a pair of depending arms 31, secured to the lower ends of which areboxes32 carrying-a shaft To this shaft 33 is fixed a driving wheel 3% preferably provided with a rubber tire or other suitable friction surface adapted to bear against thecore or rings: or the fabric wou'nd'thereon and to receive motion fromthe latter. Means are also provided for driving'the shaft 29 and the roller '30 from the shaft 33, these means being-"shown i'n this case as a pairv of sprocket wheels 36 and 37 connected by a chain"'*38. "Gears39and 40 are alsopreferably'provide'd for driving the roller 28 from the shaft-'29. It is obvious that any other form ofdriving connections may be used in place of those described. For holding the wheel 31 indriving contact with the ring 4, or partially formed tire, I provide a. frame 41 pivoted at one end'to the shaft 33 and having projecting from the other end there? of a shaft 42,!the free end of which slides in'abox 43 pivoted between the arms of a forked lever 41 fixed to a shaft+l5 ournaled in the upright 9. To the projecting end of this shaft-is secureda hand lever &6 having a pawl 47 engaging with a fixed notched segment 48. A spring 49 is pressed between the box 43 and the hub of a hand wheel 50 screwing on a threaded portion oftheshaft 45 and'forces the frame and the drivingwheel carried thereby forward, the tension of the spring being regulated by the position of the 18V6D46. The tension ofthe masses hand wheel 50.- Also supported, on the shafts 33 is a pair of arms'51 having slots 52 in their-outer ends. The rear ends of said armsare bent upwardly as shown at 53 and provided with slots 51. arranged concentrically with the shaft 33. By means of bolts 55 passing through the 5 slots 54: the arms may be secured to the frame 41in desired angularposition. Secured to these arms 51 is a pair of segmental-bars 56, which support the fabric shaping guide or shoe 67 which is preferably secured .to these bars by means of'bolts 68 passing through slots therein, whereby a limited circumferential adjustment of the. guide is' permitted. This guide or former preferably consists of a single piece of metal shaped to conform closely totheouter surface of the core and tapered to a comparatively thin edge at its outer end which is brought as close asvpossible to the surface of the core, or partially formed tire thereon.

The outer surface of the guide is made smooth-to permit the fabric to slide thereover. The bars 56 are preferably secured to the arms by means of bolts 57 passing through the slots 52, wherebythe posit-ionuof therbars relativelyto the arms may be adjusted. From .the upper end of each of-the bars. 56 pro ects a radial standard 58, upon each of which is mounted abox 59. The boxes are slidably mounted on these radially disposed standards, means such as set screws 60 being provided for securing them in desired posit-Ion thereon. In the boxes .58 .is journaled a transverse shaft '61 upon which is mounted a roller 62.adapted to-bearupon a ring '4, or partially formed tire, and to support the free end of the bars 56. This roller 62 is preferably,.-s'plitias at 63, its two halves being urged together by sprin'gs'64. It is preferably formedof some yielding material such as soft rubber, in order that it may fit smoothly on theglayers of fabric wound upon the core 4, and its exspring may also be adjusted by rotating the I tended flanges 65 closely embrace the sides of the partly formed tire."

In the operation of my device a core or ring is inserted in the machine and secured to the chuck. As the arms of the latter always piove equally towardand'away from the center o'frotation of the chuck, the centering of the ring is assured. -The split roller now rests on the outer surface of the ring or core and supports the outer endsof the bars 56 in proper position relatively thereto; The driving wheel 34 is held, in driving engagement with the ring by the pressure of thespring 49, the tension of which is'regulated by the hand lever 46; A reel 16 bearing a roll of fabric 17 is now placed in the bearing recesses. This roll of fabric-preferably comprises a series of strips of gummed bias fabric 75, each of a length just suflicient ,to make one tire, the strips being joined by leaders 66. The latter are l preferably also formed of bias fabric of texture similar to the fabric used for forming the tires and are impregnated with rubber and vulcanized. The band of strips of gummed fabric and leaders thus formed is rolled up with a strip'of ungunnned fabric or liner, as already described. A leader (i6 is secured to the free end of the first strip of gummed fabric. In starting the tire this leader is carried over 'the roller .38 and the convex or bellied roller 30, the end of it being passed over the former 67 and applied to the ring or core 4, to which it is secured by a suitable cement or otherwise- The/end of the liner is rolled about the reel 16. After the application of any desired tools, not shown, to cause the fabric to adhere smoothly to the core, power is applied to the main shaft, The driving wheel 3i will now begin to rotate, and will, through the chain 38 and gearing 39 and $0, positively drive the rolls 2S and 30. The diameters of the driving wheel 3% and the roll 30, and ofthe sprockets 36 and 37, are so proportioned I that the peripheral speed" of the central portion or crown of. the roll'30 is somewhat less than that of the outside of the core or ring, usually about 15v per cent. less. The peripheral speed of the roll :28 is,'ho'wever, preferably about equal to that of the crown of the roll 30, although I. may make-it slightly less if desired. The roll 28 is usually provided with a roughened surface, as by coiering it with cloth or rubber, in order to prevent slipping between its'surface and the fabric passing'over it, whereby it will be caused to feed thev fabric uniformly to the roll 30.' Between the roll 30and the core the fabric' will be stretched. owing to the smaller peripheral speed of the former. The stretching will be greatest in the middle of the strip of the fabric as the peripheral speed of the inner portions of thefcor'e to which the edges of the fabric are to be ap'pliedis less than that of the outer circumference of the c'ore and usually no greater than that of the roller 30. Theleader 66 is used in order to equalize the stretch in the strip of tire forming fabric and to produce the same condition in it at the starting and completing of the tire as exists during the remainder of the formation thereof. After the core has been rotated to such'an extent that the. end of gummed fabric has been drawninto contact therewith by the leader and has become firmly attached thereto, the leader, which is of sucha length as to extend only a part of the waywaround the core, is removed. The rotation of the core is then continued, and the winding up and laying of the gummed tire forming fabric.is"begun.,, The fabric slides over the former or guide 67 and is cupped to the approximate shape of the tire section being laid on the core by the roll 63.

one a As will be seen, the roller 62 will belifted slightly by the successive layers of fabric,

carrying with it the bars 56. It will also be seen that as the rollers 28 and "30 are driven from the driving wheel 34, which takes its motion from the outer surface of. the tire so far as built up, the ratio of the peripheral speed of the outer surface of the partiall Y formed tire to that of the roller 30 will remain constant regardless of the in creasing diameterof'the former.

I The operation of forming the tire by any suitable tools is continued until a .suflicient number of layers of fabric have been applied tly form the-completed body portion of the tire, whereupon the band of fabric coming from the roll is severed. If the strips of fabric formin the roll l7 have been measured OH with sufiicient exactitude, the junction between the end of a strip and one of the leaders '66 will now have been r eached and this severing will merely consist in detaching the end of the leader from the end of the strip of fabric. 'If too long a strip of fabric has been used, the strip will be actually severed at this point and the surplus length detached from the leader. The roll of fabric, when properly measured out, is thus left in condition for the immediate starting of another tire, the leader be ing ready for application to a new core which can be put in the machine as sopn as the old core with the tire thereon is removed. 4

\Vhile, I have illustrated and described only one specific embodiment of my inventiou, realize that it is susceptible of wide application and I do not desire to be limited to'the precise structure shown and described.

Having thus described my invention, I claim.

. 1. A flexible band for use in forming tires comprising a series of strips of tire making material and leaders connecting said strips.

2. A flexible band for use in making tires comprisin a series of strips of bias tire forming abric and leaders connecting the adjacent ends of said strips.

3. A flexible band for usein making tires comprising a series of strips of tire forming materialand leaders connectingthe adjacent -ends of said'strips, 'sa-id leaders being formed of material having substantially the same coeflicient of elasticity as that (if the tire forming material.

4. A band of flexible material for i'se in making tires comprising a series of strips of bias tire forming fabric and leaders of similar bias fabric connecting the adjacent ends of said strips. a

A band for use in making tires comprising a series of strips of bias gummed tire forming fabric. and leaders connecting the adjacent ends of said strips, said leaders iso I fistrips of tire forming material; each of a length suflic'ient toform a completetire or adefinitevand predetermined part thereof,

and leader's'of flexible material connecting theadjac'ent ends of said strips.- v

- 7. A leader for attaching the end of a making" machine, comprising a strip-of bias fabric of less length thanthe periphery of .thecore.

8.. A leader for attaching the end of a "strip of bias tire, fabric to the core ofa tire Lmakingmachine, comprising a strip of material ofless length than the periphery of v the core, said material having substantially 20 the" same coeflicient :of elasticity as that of the tire forming. material. a

A9. A leader for attaching the end of a strip of bias tire fabric to the core of a tire making machine,comprising a strip of bias 25 fabric'of less length than the periphery of the-core, said fabric being impregnated with a rubber compound and vulcanized.

strip of bias tire 'fabricx-to the core of a tire I 10.A flexible band forusein forming tires comprising a strip of tire-making material and an auxiliary flexible-member detachably connectedto. one end thereof.

11. A flexible band for use informing tires comprising a strip of tire-making material, an auxiliary'member or leader at one end thereof for joining it to the coreor tire forming device, and a second auxiliary member at the otherend of said'strip'.

12. A, flexible band for'use in forming tires comprising a strip of tire-making materialof such length asto complete a predetermined portion of a tire, and an auxiliary member or leader attached to the forward end thereof for joining it to the core or tire-forming device.

13(A flexible band for usein forming tires comprising a strip of tire-making material ofsuc'h length as to complete a predetermined portion of a tire, and an auxiliary member or follower attached to the rear end thereof.

a JOHN R. GAMMETER.

' Witnesses R. Pmns0N,-

WALTER K. MEANS. 

